Falling Stars
by Avgi
Summary: After a long mission, Team Natsu arrive back home. On the night of the arrival, Lucy notices she is being followed. Now she can do nothing but obey for her to be able to keep her friends from getting hurt. But will it end up hurting her instead?
1. Chapter 1

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 1

Hidden in the Shadows

I tried to catch my breath as I climbed the hill, but it was impossible to keep up with him. He was always so full of energy, it truly amazed me.

"Come on, Lucy! We don't have all day!" Natsu shouted.

"Uh, actually we do!" I shouted back!

"But Lucy, I'm hungry! If we don't get to the guild as soon as possible, I might pass out. What about you Happy?" he asked the little blue cat.

"Aye, sir!" Happy squeaked.

"Alright, alright I get it." I huffed. "As I reached the top of the hill where Natsu and Happy were, the beautiful view of the town I called home appeared. Far into the distance, right next to the port, the Guild Hall stood tall and proud like it always had. "See? We'll be there in the next twenty minutes." I reassured them and their growling stomachs.

"Oh yeah, Can't wait to get some grub! Are you with me Happy?" said Natsu with excitement.

"Aye sir! Come on Lucy, try not to fall back again!"

"I'll try!" I laughed as I ran down the hill with my two best friends.

The streets of Magnolia were always so filled with life. As we walked down the path to the guild, we passed many little shops and ran into so many people. I loved walking around and just randomly talk to them. Everyone was really friendly.

"Do you want to eat here or should we head to the Guild?" asked Natsu.

"I want Mira's fish! Lets go back to the Guild!" Happy whined.

"No objection here. But do you think I can drop by my house and leave my stuff. I don't want to carry it." The mission we had chosen obligated us to travel half way through Fiore and track down the Bullough Brother's, bandits who had been going through the whole kingdom terrorizing small villages. We must have been away for about a week. We managed to capture them, but as usual, in the process damages were caused by Natsu and his explosiveness, so we did not receive the reward.

"Yeah no problem, Lucy. Careful on your way home." said Happy. And with that, the Dragon Slayer and the blue exceed went their separate way. They were both my closest friends, but it was nice to get a break once in a while.

The walk to my house was a small one, but I usually took my time and enjoyed it. My suitcase vibrated as it rolled behind me. I was getting harder and harder to carry, so it was obvious I was tired. Since there was no real rush, I stop and park my suitcase beside me. I inhale and exhale, smelling the fresh and familiar air of Magnolia. I turn my head so that I had full view of the river that flowed through the city and, eventually, in front of my apartment. The water was peaceful and glowed beautifully in the afternoon light. I bend down slightly to get a better look. A voice in the distance emerged, snapping me out of my trance.

"Be careful, Lucy. We don't want you to fall in." A while had passed but I still remembered the two men that frequently passed down the river making their deliveries.

"I'll be fine, I always am. Thanks though." I yelled back at them.

"Been a long time, Lucy. See ya around." Said the other man as the slowly drifted away. I could help but let out a giggle. Still feeling exhausted I decided to just go straight home and into a warm bath.

It felt great finally being home after that long mission. Thinking I needed to be at the Guild soon, I just simply left my suitcase next to my dresser so I won't forget to unpack later and headed straight for the bathroom. Being home was nice, but being in a hot bath was even better. I turn on the fausset and let the steamy water run as I undressed myself. Letting my hair down from my side ponytail brought relief to my scalp. I turn toward the mirror and apply my facial mask and then washed it off. I couldn't help but stare at my reflection. Whenever I did, I always felt like mother was standing right next to me.

"I miss you guys, ...so much…" I choked. I break away and headed for the bath. As the water was still running I opened my body soap bottle, vanilla scented, and added it in the tub, always a little extra so bubbles can overpopulate it. Once it was filled, I slowly dipped my self in. It felt like all my stress and worries just oozed away. Having nothing else to do in the tub, my mind just drifted away in the deepest parts of my memory. I started recalling all of my adventures, starting with the first time I ever met Natsu. We had gone through so much together, it amazed me that we were still alive. Then again, having Natsu on my team, I doubted that would ever happen. Erza and Gray are also people who would never allow harm come to their friends. Happy is no pushover either. And I could never forget my spirits. They had helped me through the most difficult of times, it's almost unbelievable. "You guys are the best." I faintly said.

Once I was done with my bath, I changed into some clothes, grabbed my gate keys and headed for the Guild Hall. Since it was getting late, everyone had already turned in for the night, so the streets were all empty. The Guild was not too far from my home, but the walk in the night did send chills down my spine. My footsteps echoed through the temporary ghost town. Upon walking, I noticed that some of the footsteps did not match my own. I suddenly stop, and a few echoed in the distance before silencing. My suspicions arose immediately "Someone is… following me…?" I started walking a little faster, and the presence of my stalker became clearer. He was now running after me. I picked up the pace even more, hoping I could outrun him, but to no avail. I quickly turn the corner and the Guild Hall in in full view. Even though I felt a little relieved, the fear of the man following me still terrified me. At that point I was running in full speed, but I still felt like he was getting closer and closer. Thinking that I won't be able to reach the Hall in time, I swiftly turn and pulled out my gate keys. Without looking, I pulled one out and noticed that it was Taurus' key. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus." Light flashed out of the golden key and a massive bull appeared in front of me.

"What can I _dooo_ for _yooou, _Miss Lucy?" he asked with his trademark speech.

"Taurus, someone is after me." I said even though I was out of breath. I look past my spirit and see that the figure had come to a stop, but I still could not see who it was. "Stay away from me or you're gonna get hurt."

"No one shall come close to Miss Lucy's rockin' body! _Mooo_!" I ignored his perverted comment and kept my eyes pinned on my stalker. Only a second past, and he was already running for the hills. I then sighed in relief.

"Thanks for the help Taurus, you can go back now."

"Wait! Don't I get a _smooo…_!" I swiped my key and closed the gate before he could finish his sentence.

"Who was that?" I thought to myself. I stared off into the distance. The scenery was pitch black so I could not make out if he was still there. "Hopefully its over now." With no more time to spare, I turn my back and open the doors to the Guild. Loud music and voices filled the air. It was the same as always. With no reason to celebrate, they do it anyway. I walk in, and they all greet me with cheers. In the distance, my two best friend sat at our usual spot, and kept a seat open just for me. Once they notice me in the distance, smiles appeared on their faces and waved me down. Without a second though I quickly walk into their direction, and everything that had happened before hand just simply became a thing of the past.

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**NaLu is my favorite pairing so I hope you guys enjoy this love story. If you'd like to review, it would help me out a lot. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Quick note. I'm leaving for Greece in a day and I was planning on writing over vacation, but two days ago, my laptop broke. I cramped to write this chapter so I hope it's not badly written and there are no errors. **

**Since there probably isn't going to be another update on this story until I get back, enjoy this chapter that happened to be a little longer than I expected, and if that is not enough, enjoy my other story called "The Iron Soul" which is focused on Gajeel and Levy.**

**I wanted to say thanks for reading. Like, review, and send a PM with ideas that you might have, (It could end up in the story. You never know :P) it helps me out a lot, and I'll see you in the next chapter. **

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Chapter 2

Followed

"So wait… you were being followed?" the fire dragon slayer asked.

"Yeah, it was really weird. I had to summon Taurus to scare him off."

"Come on Lucy, this has happened before. The possibilities of you being stalked again are slim to none." he said before he stuffed his mouth with cheesy nachos with extra hot sauce.

"Yeah, but last time it was my father. This one can be the real deal." saying that sent a chill down my spine, but it needed to be said.

"Maybe you're right."

"I want more fish!" said Happy with a smile on his face.

"Way to stay focused on the situation in hand Happy." I sighed.

The blue exceed flew off towards the counter to ask MiraJane for more of her popular salmon, leaving me and Natsu at our table alone.

"So, what are you going to do about this guy following you?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Taurus scared him off, so maybe now he won't come back, or at least I hope so."

In the distance I heard a familiar voice call out to me, followed by a couple others.

"Lu-chan!" Levy cheered.

"Levy! It's so good to see you!" I got up from my seat at ran into her hug that was waiting for me.

"Happy told us that someone was following you."

"Yeah, we got really worried. Are you hurt?" asked the ice-maker mage.

"Way do you care ice-bastard?" growled Natsu in the back.

"You shouldn't open your mouth pyro, if you know what's good for 'ya." he snapped back.

"Boys, enough!" Erza commanded, making the boys immediately stop.

"I'm fine guys, thank you though." I smiled.

"He better leave you alone." said Erza with a voice full of seriousness.

"Yeah, or he will have to deal with us." Gray stated

"Honestly, there is no need to make a big deal out of it. Taurus and all of my other spirits are always there for me, and I can take care of myself. So don't trouble yourselves."

"Okay if you say so. But if you ever need anything, just say so." Levy said before she walked off with my other two friends. It made me feel so good knowing that I had them to help me out whenever I needed help.

"They're the best." I said as I sat back down at our table.

"Except for that perverted popsicle." Natsu hissed. Usually I would scold him for fighting his friends, but I couldn't help but giggle at how cute he was when he got mad. "So, wanna take another job request for tomorrow?" he asked full of excitement.

"But Natsuuu… we just got baaack…" I whined in frustration.

"Oh come one, Lucy, don't be like that. It'll be fun!" He smirked.

I sighed, knowing that there was no way of changing his mind. "Fiiine, but I pick the job! I don't want to spend the majority of the time traveling and you puking."

"Deal!" We both rose from our seats and headed for the request board. It surprised me that Nab was not towering over the board, still looking for the perfect job. I figured that he had already gone home for the night. "How about this one?" Natsu yelled. He quickly shoved a piece of paper in my face that read "Please slay the three mountain lions that have been terrorizing our village. Reward: J. 40,000."

"I don't think so." I grunted. I looked around and spotted a fairly easier job, but worth much more. "How about this one? Protect a secret relic from possible bandits. Reward: J. 75000."

"It's alright, but I don't get to fight anyone." He pouted.

"And that is why we are taking it. I don't want to have to use our reward money again to pay for damages." He kept pouting. "But hey, there might be a possibility of fighting the bandits." I added, hoping it would sound more interesting to him.

"Okay, i guess it could work." His sharp grin suddenly appeared on his face, making me smile along with him.

"Okay then it's settled. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early." I cheered as I headed for the door.

"But wait, what if that stalker guy comes back? Shouldn't you have someone walk you home?" he asked with a voice full of concern.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'll be fine." I yelled back as I exited through the front doors.

It was a rather cloudy night, and the moon was no where to be seen, so my only light source were a few street lights along my path. Being extremely cautious, I looked left and right at every corner, making sure my stalker wasn't there. Small shadows made me jolt with every movement, and once my heart calmed down, I kept walking. "Geez, I've got to lighten up a bit. That stalker must have already escaped and is long gone. I've got nothing to worry about." I laughed nervously. Through my laughter, the sound of a pebble skipping echoed and reached my feet. I quickly turned and saw a familiar figure in the near distance. "Oh no." It was him again. "What do you want?" I screamed at him. The stalker then started walking towards me at a slow pace, making it even creepier. "Stay back!" My hand was already on my keys, ready for a fight. Despite my warning, he did not stop. In fact, he started moving faster. "Alright you asked for it!" I tug on my key chain and I sighed in relief seeing as how the key I had randomly chosen belong to Loke. "Open, Gate of the Lion! LEO!" A bright flash of light shined in front of me, and within it, a sharply dressed man appeared.

"Hello, beautiful. What shall I do for you today?" the redhead asked as he bowed to me.

"The usual. Kick that guys butt." I ordered while pointing at my target.

"On it." He swiftly turned at ran for the stalker "Regulus Punch!" In an instant, He jumped high up in the air, and with full force, he came raining down like a bright star, with a clenched fist aimed at the man's head. Completely unfazed, the stalker raised his arm and blocked Loke's attack with his bare hands. "What the…?" With complete ease, the mysterious man grabbed Loke's wrist and sent him flying in the opposite direction.

"Is he a mage?" I whispered to myself. The stalker then turned his attention back to me and started walking towards me again. Fear surged through me with every step he took in my direction. "Stay back!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Why you…" In no time flat, Loke was back on his feet, ready for another attack. "Leave Lucy alone!" He yelled while running towards him. Just before the impact had a chance to happen, the man stepped to the side and out of Loke's range. Frustrated, Loke glanced at him with a look that frightened even me. "I'm warning you." He quickly adjusted his Regulus ring before dashing forward yelling "Regulus Beam!" It amazed me on how fast he moved. Almost as fast as the speed of light.

"Yeah, go Loke!" I cheered in the background, but it did not last long. The ground began to tremble in a way that it made it difficult to even stand. I fell on my hands and knees, letting out faint yelp due to the impact. I raise my head to see what was going on. Loke had almost reached the stalker when suddenly, a swarm of rocks emerged from the ground below knocking Loke and sent him flying back. "NO!" I yelled in worry. He was not moving. I ran to him and checked if he was okay. I knew that spirits could not die, but that did not make me worry less. "Loke? Loke, can you hear me?" A faint grunt escaped his lips letting me know that he was okay. I look over my shoulder and saw that the stalker was again walking in our direction, but this time, he was carrying something like a weapon. "An assassin?" I thought. I bounced back up and spread my limbs wide, creating a protective shield in attempt to guard Loke. "You can kill me, but you cannot lay a finger on him!" I shouted as tears ran down my cheeks.

"Lucy… no…" Loke managed to say.

"Please…" I cried. My eyes were closed shut, my body was petrified in fear and my heart was running a mile a minute. I was terrified. Seconds past and nothing had happened. I slowly open my eyes and noticed that he had once again disappeared. "What…"

"Lu-Lucy…" a faint light started to twinkle behind me. I turn my head, only to see that Loke was fading back into the spiritual world

"Loke!" Without hesitation, I ran to him hoping that he was okay. "Are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine. The man ran away. I have a feeling that he will be back so once I'm gone, call someone else as a bodyguard. You hear me?" he said between coughs.

"Yeah, just… get better."

"Anything for you princess." With a wink, the light around him grew slightly brighter. The next thing I knew, he was gone.

"Thank you, Loke." I attempted to stand back up on my feet, but it was rather difficult, not because of the shaking ground like before, but because I was running out of magic energy. When I finally did, I take out the key of the gentlest person I knew and summoned them. "Open, Gate of the Ram! Aries!" I faint 'puff' echoed in my ears and a shy girl appeared though a cloud of pink fluff.

"Wh-what can I do for you master?" She stuttered.

"Aries, I ne-..." I didn't realize how much that whole experience drained out of me, but the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, the lights slowly fading out.

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**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

**Love ya guys! 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**All things Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima. Picture also belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 3

Faint Light, Dark Abyss

"Miss Lucy…? Miss Lucy are you alright?" a soft voice echoed. I opened my tired eyes and the light of the morning sun burned them. At first I couldn't see anything, but after a few seconds, the silhouettes of my furniture started to form. I was in my room. "Miss Lucy?" the voice said again. I turn my head slightly and the lovable Aries was sitting on her knees next to my bed with a worried expression.

"A-aries…" My throat hurt like hell. It hurt to talk. "W-what happened?" I coughed.

"I brought you home last night after the attack on you and Loke." she was on the verge of tears when she said that. Then again, she was always on the verge of tears when she said anything, but I knew she was worried.

"Thank you Aries. You did good." I smiled at her to relieve her of her worries. She then spared a smile which made me feel even better. I then noticed that she looked paler than usual. And then it hit me. "Aries!" I almost yelled, making her jolt. "Did you… stay here the whole night?" She didn't respond. She just tilted her head down in shame. Staying out of the spirit world for a long period of time is very draining to celestial spirits. Even though Loke survived for more than 3 years, Aries can be considered one of my most delicate spirits. So having her stay over night watching me must have really been a difficult job. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

"Do not worry Miss Lucy. It is my duty to serve and protect you." She smiled. She might be delicate, but she is definitely strong.

"Thank you, Aries." I smiled back. "You've been a big help." With a nod, the white, lamb girl disappeared in the light and faded back into the spirit world. Once she was gone, I let out a deep sigh and fell back down to my bed. "Oh my god." I whispered to myself. I rubbed the temples on either side of my head with my thumbs. "What is happening? Who was that?" Thinking back to the event that happened the night before made me shiver in fear. "Can't think about that right now I guess." I again, slowly, got up from my bed, cautious of not making myself dizzy, but failed. Once I stood on my two feet, I felt my brain go numb, and my body along with it. I tried using all of my strength to prevent myself from falling, but I still found myself on the floor. "Damn it." I growled.

Suddenly a knock on the door emerged and a voice on the other side followed shortly after it. "Lucy!? Lucy, you in there?" Natsu asked.

"N-natsu?" I asked weakly.

"Lucy?" He responded. "Lucy, open the door!"

"I- I can't…"

"Hold on." There was a small silence lingering in the air, but then the sound of a key clicking in my doors keyhole was heard. The door was swung open and Natsu was standing there looking around the room. I let out a small grunt and immediately, his attention was set on me. "Lucy!" With one leap, Natsu was bending down next to me, turning me over and picking me up from the floor. "Are you okay? Why are you on the floor?" He lead me to my bed and laid me down gently on the soft surface.

"I tried getting up, but I guess that was a bad idea." I couldn't hold back the harsh cough in the back of my throat, but I still tried to laugh it off. Sadly, Natsu wasn't buying any of it. He only sat next to me, staring at me with his concerned face. "Listen, Natsu. There's not need to-."

"Who is he?" he sternly asked.

"What? Natsu everything is taken-."

"Loke came this morning to the guild and explained everything. You are both in bad shape and you're telling me that everything is taken care of?" He was practically yelling. I couldn't blame him though. I'd be furious as well, but that didn't change the fact that he was scaring me."

"You're right…" I sniffed. "I should have been more careful…" Tears started to form in my eyes, threatening to run down my cheeks. Then, suddenly, Natsu grabbed my hand and squeezed it into his. I looked up to him and saw that he had a hurt expression.

"Don't do that." I was confused. "Don't do that to yourself. Don't blame yourself on things you can't control." He quickly got up and headed to the door. "Especially when I could have done something to prevent it."

"Natsu, what are-." My own thought interrupted me that time. How can Natsu had known that I would be attacked. I then looked back to a day ago and remembered I had mentioned to Natsu that I was being followed. He couldn't possibly think that he could blame himself because he wasn't there. "You can't blame yourself either!" I shouted with a cry.

"I'm going to find whoever did this to my friends." And with that, the door slammed shut and he was gone. The only thing I could do was just stare at the door. I desperately wanted to get up and run after him, making sure he doesn't do anything reckless, but getting in his way would also be a reckless move on my part. So I just sat there thinking. His mind was not clear, he has no idea how powerful the culprit could be, plus, he had no leads to where he was located. I also had no idea where he could be. He would vanish in thin air and appear whenever he wanted. The only thing I knew is that he used Earth Magic, and that he definitely did not use all his might in the fight against Loke and he still beat him in mere seconds. What really confused me is why he did not finish the job. Was it because I intervened? Did he suddenly run out of magic power and decided to flee? All these unanswered questions.

I discarded the stressful and worrisome thoughts and looked at my clock. Eleven thirty-three p.m. I slept in the whole morning, yet I was still exhausted. I suspected everyone at the guild would be wondering where I was, but I was pretty sure everyone was informed of last night. Staying home was the better option at the time. I sunk myself in the fluffy mattress and covered myself with my fuzzy blankets. I was scared of closing my eyes, thinking that someone could be watching me at anytime, but I was to tired to think that. With every second gone by, my eyelids became heavier and heavier, until, finally, I drifted into a deep sleep.

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_The world was gray. The only thing that could be seen was a path that seemed like it lead to nowhere. I walked on the path, not knowing why, for what seemed like hours. I wanted to stop but I had no control over my body. My heart felt empty, like an empty shell. What did it all mean? _

_After walking some more, my body finally came to a stop. My head slowly raised and in the near distance, a faint light was visible. Even though it was small, I could feel the heat radiating from it. It was practically the only thing I had felt the entire time. The warm and inviting feeling made me want to reach out and grab it. I subconsciously raise my hand and before I knew it, the ground below me started to crumble. Before I could act the ground had sully cracked. I found myself falling into the dark abyss with only the light from before at the top of the pit, slowly becoming smaller and smaller. The ground where I once stood started to form again, eventually burying me alive._

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I quickly snapped out of my dream in screams. My whole body was drenched in sweat. When I finally reassured I was still save in the comfort of my home, I let out a small sigh. I looked out the window that was right next to my bed, I saw it was dark out. I look at my clock which read two twenty-seven a.m. With an aggravated groan, I plop back down on my pillow, trying to fall back asleep with hopes of having good dreams instead.

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**Finally came back from vacation** **and finally got rid of my 'writer's block' on this story. ** **I is 1:40 a.m. and I'm off to bed. Again, thank you for all of your support. If you guys want you can follow, favorite and, as always, leave a review, it helps me out a lot. Constructive criticism is welcome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

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I woke up the next morning, and I felt totally normal. I wasn't feeling light headed and it seemed I could control my body just fine. I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. A warm shower in the morning seemed like the best idea. I quickly got dressed and set off for the Guild. On the way there, I took my time and tried to figure out my situation once again, but I was going nowhere. _I'm not a famous mage that people would want revenge on. I have not ties to my family and its wealth so I'm not worth much. What could it be?_ I asked myself these question, waiting to receive an answer, even though I knew I wouldn't.

"Excuse me miss?" A childish voice spoke out. I turned round and saw a little girl, about Asuka's age, with orange red hair and emerald green eyes.

"Hm, what is it sweetie?" I asked in a concerned yet cheerful tone.

"I lost my brother." she sniffed. "I can't find him anywhere." Tears were now forming in her eyes, threatening to fall.

I panicked a little and started hushing her. "No don't worry, honey. We'll find him." I looked around, hoping I would find a person better suited for the situation, but no one stood out. I sighed and turned my attention back to the red head. "What does he look like?"

"He's tall and and has brown hair." she sniffed "And he has green eyes like me."

"Okay now when did you last see him?" She looked around but gave no answer, which made me worry even more. "Do you even know where you are?" She shook her head, about to cry even more. I quickly grabbed her and pulled her into a reassuring hug. "Don't worry we'll find him." Thinking that there would be no chance in finding him in a crowded place like Magnolia, Fairy Tail seemed the best choice, especially if her brother was in another town for us to look in. I grabbed her petite hand and smiled sweetly "Come one, we are going to Fairy Tail."

She looked at me with her pure emerald eyes that shined because of her tears. "You're a Fairy Tail Mage?" she asked with amazement.

"Yup." I answered as we started walking towards the guild. "Oh, how rude of me." I gasped. "What is your name."

"Nefriti." she smiled, tears out of sight.

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"Wow, this place is so big!" she said in awe, he eyes trailing in each corner of the guild. "Can we go inside?" she shyly asked.

"Of course we can." I stepped forward and placed my hands on the colossal doors and pushed in, opening them up slowly. I poked my head in and saw all of my guild mates hanging around like usual.

"What's wrong?" She asked in confusion.

"Hm? Oh, nothing. It's just that you need to be careful when entering this guild." At that moment, I heard a 'whoosh' that turned my attention to the hurling man heading right for me. I quickly close the doors and a loud thud was heard. Anger and frustration surged through me. I again open the guild doors, only to reveal a laughing Natsu.

"Hahaha, I win again!" He yelled with pride.

"Natsu!" My loud voice filled with aggression made everyone jolt.

"Oh, hey Lucy!" He grinned.

"Don't 'Hey Lucy' me. You could've hurt Nefriti."

"Nefriti?" Everybody simultaneously asked.

The little girl stepped around from behind me, revealing herself to the guild. "Hello, I'm Nefriti." she shyly introduced herself. Seconds later, everyone let out a loud 'aw'.

"Everyone, this is Nefriti. I found her at the market. She's looking for her big brother."

"Oh, my. She's lost?" The soft voice of Mirajane spoke out.

I nodded in response. "To make it worse, she doesn't even know where she is. She might be from a town close by."

"That is very unfortunate." Erza said. "We should sent out a announcement that we have found her and that she is safe."

"That's what I said as well. We should sent it to all of Fiore."

"We should ask for a reward." Natsu laughed, resulting a glare from me. "I'm just kidding."

Suddenly, huffs and puffs echoed from the guild entrance. We all turned our attention towards the man out of breath leaning against the doors, barely able to stand. It took him a while to catch his breath, but after a few breaths he spoke. "Have any- of you- seen my little sister?"

"Petra!" Nefriti yelled as she ran towards her brother. She leaped in the air prepared to wrap her arms around him, but he was still too weak, so the both fell backwards and on to the floor. "Petra, I was so scared! I thought I lost you!" She cried.

"I'm sorry, Nefriti." He hugged her back. "I promise I'll keep a better eye on you from now on." The moment was so heart warming, no one wanted to interrupt. We all stayed there in silence. The man then looked up and saw all of us looking at them. "Thank you, so much everyone for keeping her safe."

"No thanks necessary." I smiled. "We're just glad you found each other."

"Petra," Nefriti spoke up. She loosened her grasp around her brothers neck and looked at me. "This is Lucy. She's the one who found me and brought me here."

"Is that so?" The man sat his little sister down and got up, only to stand before me extending his arm towards me. "Special thanks to you, Miss Lucy." He grabbed and kissed my hand. "My name is Petra."

"He-hello." I stuttered. He had mid-length brown hair that slightly covered his beautiful emerald eyes that can make any girl's heart melt. He shared a smile before coming up again. He was slightly taller than me and he was in good form. "D-do you mind me asking how you got separated?" I asked.

His smile then turned into a hurt expression, as if he felt utterly guilty. "We have no parents, so I take on jobs to be able to support the two of us. I am currently out on a job now, but because I have no one to take care of Nefriti, I bring her along. This time I lost her because I was careless."

"What was the job that you were on?" Natsu asked in the background.

"I'm looking for a murderer. His name is Edaphos, the earth mage." He said full of scorn.

"A murderer?" Mira asked.

"He has been killing people across from Fiore. He has been active for several years, but he has only recently become infamous." He chocked before he uttered his nexts words. "Our parents were also his victims five years ago." At that moment, little Nefriti started weeping, resulting into Petra embracing her to calm her down. "I have been looking for him ever since. I was so close, too, but he got away the last minute, and that is when I lost Nefriti." His voice cracked before continuing. "I thought he had gotten to her. I was so worried."

"Lucy," Gray whispered to me. "didn't your attacker use a similar type of magic?" I froze at his observation. Was a serial killer really out to get me?

"Y-yeah, it kind of does." I stepped forward and Petra's eyes were on me. "Do you know what he looks like?"

"Sadly no. He is an earth mage and one of his specialties is camouflage. No one knows what he looks like." He seemed upset at that. Who could blame him?

"Maybe we should look into this matter as well." Erza said.

"Oh no. I couldn't possibly ask you guys for help after all the trouble you've gone through." He objected.

"Lucy was attacked by a mysterious figure." Natsu said. "Its gotta be the same person. And whoever messes with my friends," He slammed his fist on the table next to him, almost crushing it into pieces and bursting it into flames, "has got another thing coming."

* * *

**Hello again.**

**I know its been a long time but college is a lot more time consuming than I thought and dealing with three stories is brutal, but I'm trying. I feeling real great about this story and I hope you guys like it too. If you have any comments or critiques, I am more than willing to hear about them. Reviews help me out a lot, especially when I'm rushing to finish a chapter. So don't be shy. Everything and anything is useful.**

**Goodnight :)  
**


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